Funded by the:

Be the Messenger Toolkit

Toolkit:

This toolkit is the output of the project “ Be the Messenger” financed by the Visegrad Fund.

The coordinator of the project is the foundation FAIR ( Fundacja Aktywnych Inincjatyw Rozwoju)

from Poland. For more information on this project please visit our webpage and the Messenger Blog

http://fundacjaaktywnych.pl

Authors:

Zdenka Havrlikova, Lukas Nevrkla,Zdenka Havrlikova, Lukas Nevrkla, Andrej Návojský, Nina Galanská, Zsuzsanna Bódi, Mate Miklosfalvi,

Izabella Prystasz, Urszula Puchalska

Project Partners:

Partners to this project are EDUcentrum from the Czech Republic, Cultural View International

Assosiation from Hungary, the Milan Simecka Foundation from the Slovakia, and FAIR from Poland.

Design:

The materials provided in this toolkit represent the individual views of the writers and not general views of any institution.

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Funded by:

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1 Derman-Sparks, L., & ABC Task Force. (1989). Anti-bias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children.

Washington, DC: NAEYC

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2 - Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias Education for young children and ourselves. Washington,

DC: NAEYC

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Including cultural diversity into the current discourse

Despite the diverse population, Slovakia is very much clinging to the principle of ethnicity – and the internalization of this

principle shows also the representative survey of 14 – 15 years old pupils in 2009 – almost half of the pupils (48,7%) assigned

Slovakia the statute of country of Slovaks (not of people of various cultures). Another survey conducted in 2009 among adults

on attitudes towards foreigners and migration manifested that in general Slovaks do not perceive cultural diversity as beneficial

or natural and do not accept foreigners or cultural diversity in general.

So what about the 20% of inhabitants who do not possess the Slovak nationality? Well, first, the securitization of the minority

discourse on the political level has contributed to the tensions in the society – and served as a political tool. One of the striking

points Is also current shift from negative perception of ethnic diversity to pinpointing the religious “otherness” instead. So

basically, on the political level, the concept of cultural diversity has been mostly presented negatively – concerning Hungarians

and Roma inhabitants (mostly) in the past and migrants, refugees and Muslims nowadays. Another factor is the fear of

unknown – and this appears in the perception of majority both towards minorities as well as towards refugees. In unknown – and this appears in the perception of majority both towards minorities as well as towards refugees. In

Eurobarometer 2015 38% of respondents would feel uncomfortable if they worked with a Muslim person, 36% of respondents

would feel uncomfortable if working with a Roma person. Furthermore, 45% of respondents in Slovakia thought discrimination

based on ethnic origin is fairly or very rare. Another survey from June 2015 shows that more than 63% of respondents in

Slovakia perceive refugees from Middle East and North Africa as a security threat. 48% of respondents in September 2015 even

did not agree with creating atmosphere in society and adopting public policies for systematic reception of refugees and their did not agree with creating atmosphere in society and adopting public policies for systematic reception of refugees and their

integration into society.

Traces of cultural diversity throughout Slovak history

Slovakia is more known for its emigration history than for being a “melting pot” of cultures. But the historical background of the

country was ideal starting point of accommodating different ethnic groups – Slovakia was namely part of a multi-ethnic empire.

Through centuries different ethnicities found their way to current Slovak territory – e.g. Hungarians due to the common empire

since the 10th century, Jewish community was established for the first time in Bratislava in the 13th century, Germans were

invited to settle down from the 13th/ 14th century, Ruthenians (Rusyns) lived in the common/ close north-eastern areas. But

these are just few examples of the dithese are just few examples of the different ethnicities who shared together the area of historical Upper Hungary (Horné

Uhorsko). “Slovak culture” was thus mutually shaped under the influence of people of different ethnicities.

In 1910 Slovaks represented 57,6% of inhabitants, in 1921 it was over 65%. Nowadays, there are more than 80% people with

Slovak nationality living in Slovakia. But there are not only the national minorities, who settled down in Slovakia in the course

of time – Cubans studied, Vietnamese came as students during communism in Slovakia and gradually found their way to the

Slovak labour market, Chinese community started to form after 1989 and its members were mostly entrepreneurs,Slovak labour market, Chinese community started to form after 1989 and its members were mostly entrepreneurs, Afghans

were students or refugees, migration from South Korea is connected to high-skilled migrants concerning Korean investments

into quickly developing automobile industry and electrical engineering. Although new minorities (people not officially recognized

as national minorities, people with migration background, foreigners) are rather small in number, there is quite a diversity

among people born abroad or with different citizenship (coming from Austria, Bulgaria, China, France, Italy, Poland, Romania,

Russia, Ukraine, UK, United States, Vietnam, other).

Interestingly, in 2009 Slovak Republic in the Concept of integration of foreigners in the Slovak Republic admitted that it will

focus on integration model which is based on mutual adaptation in the integration process, where foreigners contribute to

the formation of common culture and the majority population respects them and supports the diversity. This is very much

in contradiction what has been done and said in the political discourse recently – as Kriglerová and Chudžíková argue in

their article and what is underlined by the statements of the government addressing Muslims and their monitoring. How

much public discourse mirrors the political discourse, or is at least very much influenced by it, indicate the results claiming much public discourse mirrors the political discourse, or is at least very much influenced by it, indicate the results claiming

47% of respondents considering the prime minister and the government for the most engaged actors. Moreover, 44 % of

respondents perceive media as a source of information regarding refugees. Although NGOs are according to the survey

not the main actors engaged in the refugee issues, they are a crucial part within the civic society partaking in and

contributing to the discussion – whether on the research or methodological level or in the active involvement.

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Children are very much influenced by mass media as well as social media. In 2009 survey showed that if pupils learn about

minorities, foreigners, migration or diversity in general, they tend to perceive the cultural diversity more positively. Today, in

2016, the answer to the question might look completely different. In the era of media, schools lose their position as a main

actor shaping pupils´ attitudes. But still, basically, having multicultural education in schools as a cross-sectional tool should

have an impact – achieving tolerance and respect towards the fact of cultural diversity and getting to know other cultures are

also two of the targets for multicultural education in schools. In Slovakia, there is a relative freedom in the inclusion and also two of the targets for multicultural education in schools. In Slovakia, there is a relative freedom in the inclusion and

teaching of multicultural education – some of the schools provide for students a separate subject, some schools teach

multicultural education in various subjects. The schools might also consider whether they approach teaching multicultural

education through culturally standard approach (learning about cultures) or through transcultural approach (learning about

identities). The targets and content of multicultural education 2011 and 2012 also states that aims of the MCE on different

levels is to convey children the understanding of diverse world, to develop their ability of cultural self-reflection and individual levels is to convey children the understanding of diverse world, to develop their ability of cultural self-reflection and individual

involvement in cooperation within socially and culturally diverse collective, to support their respect towards other cultures, to

improve the ability to consciously reflect own culture, behavior, communication and to deepen the understanding of

intercultural relations in own as well as other cultural identities, which includes also critical evaluation of sources of information.

Last but not least, more than 80% of pupils consider learning from people from other cultures as beneficial – as they can

learn from them that, what they would not learn otherwise.learn from them that, what they would not learn otherwise. The rhetoric question is then: How to increase diversity and

understanding of diversity if the public is a priori against taking in people (refugees mainly) and politicians support the

negative course of the discourse?

3 - http://www.indexmundi.com/poland/demographics_profile.html

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The number of prosecutions initiated based on attacks with racist background amounted to 1,365 cases in 2014,

a year earlier – 835. In 2015 and 2016 the numbers increased slightly. In comparison, in 2010 there were only

182 cases. Surly, an increasing number of foreigners are also coming to Poland, but this growth does not explain

why Poles slander someone because of his/her skin color or origin.

Hate speech also grows in strength on the Internet, especially among young people, who are natives in the

interdisciplinary world of new technology and new media. The migration crisis, the media hype about further attacks in

major European cities definitely contribute to the radicalization of views and actions of more than one adult Pole, and major European cities definitely contribute to the radicalization of views and actions of more than one adult Pole, and

especially young people, who are just in the process of shaping their worldview by comparing different authorities

and sources of information.

This is why it is so important that those who work every day with the youth and teachers are able to choose, in an

appropriate manner to the age and experience of the youth, the methods to teach and talk about tolerance and

multiculturalism. Hence, this is how the idea came up for a transnational workshop in a multicultural group of people

working with youth from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, allowing to develop and promote just working with youth from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, allowing to develop and promote just

such methods. As the organizers of this event we chose for this meeting especially the city – Lodz, which was once

in Poland the largest melting pot of different cultures: German, Polish, Russian and Jewish.

The multicultural heritage of Lodz is evident in its architecture, history and memorials, such as the cemeteries. It is

here that we want to discuss about why it is important to preserve and promote diversity in European cities and on

how to talk about it with young people.

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my town

work

honesty

freedom

my c

ousin

snowboard

sw

imm

ing parents

my dog

my friends

books

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